30 Jul Six tips for traveling to Iceland, 100% essential!
Below I am going to list the best tips for traveling to Iceland that I would have liked to know before my trip to save me more than a mess.
Iceland is one of the most prone to “unforeseen” countries I’ve been to And in fact, we did and quite big. Before making a trip like this, you have to be clear about a series of things, go well equipped, well insured, and know where to go and where not to do it.
So, after our route through Iceland by car, where we went around the entire country visiting the most beautiful places to visit in Iceland, here below I will list the six essential tips for traveling to Iceland. Here we go!
Low, Gravel, And Animals, Beware!
One of the most important tips for traveling to Iceland that you have to know is that you have to be extremely careful on the road due to loose animals, gravel, and the underside of the car since insurance policies do not usually cover them.
In Iceland there are about 10,000 sheep that graze freely and… no, there are no fences. They cross at will and many times you don’t see them coming because they come out of bushes, etc… And to that add ducks, dogs, horses… On the other hand, as I was saying, the impact of stones on gravel roads is not covered either, and believe me, it is really easy for this to happen. And finally, as I was saying, the damage you can do to the bottom of the car or the damage caused by the water when crossing a large river.
A bit of everything happened to us. We had the misfortune of running over a sheep and we ate a mountain of stones in the middle of a road that destroyed our bottoms. The solution to all this? Hire the car through Rentalcars and add the Premium insurance policy that does include undercarriage and bodywork damage without exclusion.
I have contracted this policy 1 million times and it is great. Icelandic insurance… usually doesn’t cover these things. Also, book from the link above or click here to see discounts of 15% in some car rental companies.
For me, this point is one of the best recommendations for traveling around Iceland.
What Is The Best Time To Travel To Iceland?
We were in June and after my experience, I think it is the best time to make a trip to Iceland.
As it is not high season, in June the campsites are emptier, there are more accommodation options, you have a lot of daylight hours and the prices are not as high as in the high season that runs from July to September. During those summer months we could say that it is the ideal time, but of course… everything is much more crowded and prices are skyrocketing.
If you come looking for the Northern Lights, the best months to travel to Iceland are from September to March. However, within those months, the best may be the months from December to February. This website is the best for aurora prediction.
Still, be prepared for any sudden change in weather. In Iceland, the same thing dawns sunny, but after 5 minutes it begins to rain, snow, hail… or a brutal gale begins that gives way to the densest fog you can imagine! It is as it is, you will see.
Meet the F-Roads
Another of the best tips for traveling on your own to Iceland is that within highway nº1, “the Ring Road”, you will have 0 problems, however, if you go out… be careful with the “F-Roads”.
The F roads are only suitable for 4×4 vehicles, and sometimes, depending on the weather, a 4×4 falls short and you can find really dangerous sections where only those known as “Super Jeeps” can handle certain areas such as rivers. deep currents, rocky ice areas, soft snow slopes, etc.
Weather Alerts And Road Closures
To everyone who is going to travel to Iceland in their own car, I advise you to sign up for the Safe Travel website, the Viger. Is a website for Icelandic Meteorology and the Road.is website. All these websites should be your guardian angel next to the information telephone number 1777.
If you travel in summer you will not have to use these websites as much, however, in a country as unpredictable as this one, I think that looking at the state of the roads every 2×3 is one of the best recommendations to travel to Iceland that I can give you.
Deposit At Least 40%
One of the best tips for traveling to Iceland is to never lower than 40-50% of the deposit because there are areas of the country with gas stations 200km away.
Mainly in the East of Iceland, you will see that you will drive kilometers and kilometers without seeing any trace of human civilization. And for the moment… the sheep have not refueled yet, Hahaha! Seriously, it’s brutal how deserted this part of the country is.
It happened to us to run out of drops and have to buy a can of gasoline from a local, who also, the rogue uncle, sold us three times what was at the gas station. We offered to pay him double but he told us that if we wanted gas…that was the deal. So now you know.
What to wear to Iceland
There is a saying that “in Iceland, there is no bad weather, only bad clothes” what to wear for a trip to Iceland I would opt for a layering system consisting of a thermal shirt (I love the Kipsta brand from Decathlon), a sleeved shirt long 100% cotton, fleece lining and a 100% breathable and waterproof jacket. Always waterproof pants… and don’t forget to bring a swimsuit! And the latter, if possible, dark color because the minerals can stain the white areas. And it is that this country is absolutely unpredictable in terms of temperatures, rain, and wind in the month of the year that you go. So if you are looking for recommendations on
As for the feet, wear a good boot, waterproof, with good grip, that covers the ankle and always use thick socks, if possible, made of merino wool that is antibacterial and smells less Decathlon, again, the ideal place.
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